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+--- Thread: First purchase (/showthread.php?tid=11179)
First purchase - NewNiemago - 08-28-2020
Hi,
I would like to start using linux and more specifically ubuntu.
As a person unfamiliar with this topic, can I cope with"14" PINEBOOK Pro LINUX LAPTOP " and installing the system? If so, do I need to buy additional MICROSD or other "accessories"?
Thank you in advance for your answer
RE: First purchase - tophneal - 08-28-2020
If you have no linux experience, starting with a Pinebook may not be the right choice for you. If you already have a computer, I'd suggest you get you feet wet by downloading and writing Ubuntu to a USB drive that you can boot your PC from. That will give you a live Ubuntu environment where you can get a better feel for the OS.
We can't really answer for you whether you "can cope" with a PBP. Rather, you should be asking yourself, can you "cope" with a linux laptop that does not have 100% polished software yet? Software updates can still break things, and many features people often come to expect from their OS are not fully functioning, if at all. Will that work for your use case, or fully hinder your ability to use and appreciate the PBP for what it is?
If you're cool with all that, then order that PBP! It is also suggested to pick up at least a microSD card (don't get anything lower than a Class 10/U1). It is one of the easier ways to boot multiple OSes, as well as recover installs on your eMMC. Grabbing the emmc-to-USB adapter is also not a bad idea, if you want a pretty easy method to replace the stock Manjaro install, without booting an image from SD so you can download another image to then write to your eMMC.
Hope that helps answer at least some of your questions!
RE: First purchase - NewNiemago - 08-28-2020
The above-mentioned problems are not an obstacle for me.
I need Linux mainly for bash (I'm starting my adventure with competitive programming).
I managed to test Ubuntu with a friend and I am very satisfied with it.
Laptop will not be my main work tool (I have a desktop at home), instead I'd like to get to know Linux - its pros and cons and maybe switch to it over time.
I have one more question, how long does the laptop keep on the battery and what are the chances of having problems with ubuntu?
(https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop)
RE: First purchase - tophneal - 08-31-2020
(08-28-2020, 04:53 PM)NewNiemago Wrote: The above-mentioned problems are not an obstacle for me.
I need Linux mainly for bash (I'm starting my adventure with competitive programming).
I managed to test Ubuntu with a friend and I am very satisfied with it.
Laptop will not be my main work tool (I have a desktop at home), instead I'd like to get to know Linux - its pros and cons and maybe switch to it over time.
I have one more question, how long does the laptop keep on the battery and what are the chances of having problems with ubuntu?
(https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop)
Battery life will depend heavily on usage (ie compiling.) average computer usage, you can easily get 8-10 hours of life from the battery. Putting it under consistent, heavy load will half that. If you expect to have it under a heavy load, carry your charger with you and you should be fine.
(Side note of warning here: when the battery is fully depleted, it can take up to 24h to get back to a bootable state and still may require further charging.)
The most recent 20.04 Ubuntu img seems to be running fine for most people and most of the quirks of the install seem to be addressed, or are easily addressed by the user. If you look in the PBP Tutorials forum, you should see a post concerning it.
RE: First purchase - HotChocolate - 09-03-2020
I too am brand new to linux. I learned about linux in college and now I'm hooked about the stuff you can do with it. I'm ok with the Distro being unstable, as learning along the way and figuring out how to fix things would only advance my knowledge.
RE: First purchase - pinusdensiflora - 01-16-2021
A pinebook is a totally appropriate way to get used to linux if you're not expecting the machine to work as a daily driver all the time, but be aware that issues related to software support for hardware and the installation mechanism will be different from other BIOS/UEFI based amd64 machines.